Clothes-line reel.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

1?. SHAFFER. CLOTHES LINE REEL. APPLICATION 11.31) OUT. 22, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED SHAFFER, OF VANDERGRIFT, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTHES-LINE -REEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Vandergrift, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Line Reels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in clothes line reels, and the invention has for its object to provide a novel form of reel upon which a clothes line can be wound and protected from the deteriorating forces of nature.

My invention aims to provide novel means in connection with a reel whereby the spool or reel can be easily and quickly removed from its supporting frame.

With the above and other objects in view, which obj ects will more readily appear as the invention is better understood, said invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing forming part of this specification, in which like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved invention, the hood or casing thereof being partially broken away, Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end of the same, Fig. 3 is a similar view of the opposite end.

To put my invention into practice, I construct my improved clothes line reel with an inverted Y-shaped frame consisting of a base plate 1, longitudinally disposed portion 2, and side arms 3 and 4, these parts being reinforced by a web 5. The side arm 3 is formed integral with one end of the longitudinally disposed portion 2, and has its lower end provided with an open ing 6, while adjacent to said end is an extension 7 extending at right angles to said arm 3, said extension carrying a pawl 8 pivoted on the inner side thereof.

The side arm 4 is hinged to the oppositeend of the longitudinally disposed portion 2 by a bolt 9, and around the ends of the bolt are placed one or more convolutions formed intermediate the ends of a spring 10, the ends of which bear upon the longitudinally disposed portion 2, as at 11 and upon the arm 4, as at 12. The lower end of the arm 4 is enlarged and provided with an opening'l l, and also with a projection or handle 15.

In the openings formed in the ends of the arms 3 and 4 is journaled a reel 16 comprising a shaft 17 carrying disks 18 and a toothed wheel 19, said shaft also having a rectangular end 20 to removably receive a crank 21 of a conventional form.

The longitudinally disposed portion 2 of the reel frame is provided with two pierced bosses 22 adapted to receive a pin or rod 23 passed through a suitable lon- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 22, 1906. Serial No. 339,901-

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

gitudinal opening or recess formed in one edge of a semi-cylindrical hood or casing 24 to provide for a pivotal movement thereof, said hood being adapted to house the reel 16, the closed ends of said hood normally extending between the disks 18, and the arm 4 and toothed wheel 19, respectively.

When the end of a clothes line is suitably attached to the shaft 17 the line can be wound upon said shaft by rotating the crank 21, the pawl 8 serving to lock the reel in the position to which it is rotated. At any time that it is desired to renew the line upon the reel or remove the reel, the arm 4 can be swung outwardly, the crank 21 removed, and the reel, in its entirety, be removed from its supporting frame and the hood or ,casing. It will of course be understood that when this operation is performed the hood or casing is swung on its pivot to permit of easy access being had to the reel.

I preferably make the reel of a non-corrosive mate rial, or coatthe same with a suitable solution to prevent its corrosion. This is also true of the-exposed parts of my improved clothes line reel.

It is obvious that such changes in the details of con struction, as are permissible by the appended claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A clothes line reel, comprising a frame having two forwardly projecting parallel arms one of which is integral with the frame and the other of which is hinged at its inner end to the frame, each of said arms having openings extending laterally thereof to provide closed bearings, an

upwardlyprojecting extension carried by said integral arm, a pawl mounted on said extension, :1 spring engaging the hinged-arm and the frame, said spring permanently engaging the arm intermediate its hinged connection and its bearing-opening to normally hold the said hinged-arm parallel with the integral arm, a shaft journaled in said arms, disks carried by said shaft adjacent the arms, a toothedwheel on the shaft to be engaged by said pawl, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. In a clothes line reel, a frame having an arm at each end, one of said arms being rigidly secured to the frame, the other arm being hinged at its inner end to said frame, each of said arms having an opening to provide a permanently closed bearing, a spring pressing against the frame and against the outer face of the hinged arm at a point intermediate its hinged connection and its bearingopening for normally holding said arm parallel with the other arm, a reel removably mounted within the bearings of said arms, said reel including a shaft journaled in the openings of said arms and having one end extended beyond the face of the integral arm, a crank on said extended portion of the shaft, a toothed wheel on the shaft, said wheel and crank being located on opposite sides of the integral arm, a pawl supported above one of the arms and engaging said toothed-wheel, and a pivotally-supported hood normally extending over said reel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED SHAFFER.

Witnesses F. F. ROBINSON, MARTHA HARLEY. 

